Chaetomium globosum
Summary
Chaetomium globosum is a hydrophilic mold with a worldwide distribution that is commonly found in water damaged buildings. C. globosum produces several well described mycotoxins. It is a sporadic cause of infectious mycosis in humans. It is also thought to be an important allergen in the pathogenesis of allergic respiratory disease associated with living and working in damp buildings. There are no recognized C. globosum specific allergens and the degree of cross-reactivity with other fungal and non-fungal allergens is yet to be determined.
Epidemiology
Worldwide distribution
C. globosum is found worldwide, most commonly colonizing soil, straw, seeds, cereals, cardboard, paper, cotton, foam and fabric. The percentage of patient sera positive to a group of molds associated with building damp is broadly proportional to their occurrence in buildings, in contrast to fungal species for which exposure is universal, such as Aspergillus fumigatus and A. alternata.
A study from West Virginia, where one of the highest hospitalization rates for asthma in pediatric patients in the US is reported, measured the prevalence of hypersensitivity to C. globosum amongst patients with atopy (n=102). They found that 21% of patients reacted to one or more fungal allergens and that 7% of patients were sensitive to C. globosum. C. globosum was among a series of novel fungal challenges that the researchers used in parallel with a routine allergy-testing panel. The study demonstrated that 19% of fungal hypersensitivities would have been missed if the standard panel had been used alone. Similarly, a study from Poland has found 7% of a cohort of atopic patients were sensitized to C. globosum.
Route Of Exposure
Main
Although direct evidence of aerosolized fungal fragments and respiratory disease is yet to be demonstrated, it is proposed that C. globosum is the cause of allergic disease through inhalation of specific allergen.
Clinical Relevance
There is consensus in the literature from epidemiological studies conducted in Europe, Canada and the USA that exposure to mold allergens has a significant health impact on people living and working in damp buildings. With an increased risk for respiratory symptoms, including asthma, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, and rhinosinusitis. Furthermore, indoor dampness and mold increase the risk of hypersensitivity to other allergens, such as house dust mites and pollen. It is estimated that between 10 and 30% of homes in North America have damp-associated mold problems, resulting in significant health and economic burden. However, no reported occupational risk is associated with this C. globosum.
Cross-Reactivity
In the study on patients with atopy from West Virginia, researchers noted multiple IgE reactive bands on immunoblotting that were not inhibited by other common aeroallergens. The authors concluded that further work was required to determine cross-reactivity between the fungal species studied.
References
- Capoor MR, Agarwal P, Goel M, Jain S, Shivaprakash MR, Honnavar P, et al. Invasive pulmonary mycosis due to Chaetomium globosum with false-positive galactomannan test: a case report and literature review. Mycoses. 2016;59(3):186-93.
- Provost NB, Shi C, She Y-M, Cyr TD, Miller JD. Characterization of an antigenic chitosanase from the cellulolytic fungus Chaetomium globosum. Medical Mycology. 2013;51(3):290-9.
- Wang XW, Houbraken J, Groenewald JZ, Meijer M, Andersen B, Nielsen KF, et al. Diversity and taxonomy of Chaetomium and chaetomium-like fungi from indoor environments. Studies in Mycology. 2016;84:145-224.
- Aspiroz C, Gené J, Rezusta A, Charlez L, Summerbell RC. First Spanish case of onychomycosis caused by Chaetomium globosum. Medical Mycology. 2007;45(3):279-82.
- Miller JD, McMullin DR. Fungal secondary metabolites as harmful indoor air contaminants: 10 years on. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 2014;98(24):9953-66.
- Life Co. Chaetomium globosum Kunze 2021 [cited 2022 06.01.22]. Available from: https://www.catalogueoflife.org/data/taxon/69PDR.
- Beezhold DH, Green BJ, Blachere FM, Schmechel D, Weissman DN, Velickoff D, et al. Prevalence of allergic sensitization to indoor fungi in West Virginia. Allergy Asthma Proc. 2008;29(1):29-34.
- Shi C, Provost NB, Desroches T, Miller JD. Quantification of C. globosum spores in house dust samples. Ann Agric Environ Med. 2014;21(3):525-30.
- Madsen AM, Crook B. Occupational exposure to fungi on recyclable paper pots and growing media and associated health effects – A review of the literature. Science of The Total Environment. 2021;788:147832.
- Green BJ, Nayak AP, Lemons AR, Rittenour WR, Hettick JM, Beezhold DH. Production of a Chaetomium globosum Enolase Monoclonal Antibody. Monoclonal Antibodies in Immunodiagnosis and Immunotherapy. 2014;33(6):428-37.